


Of Fancy Braiding

by ratatoskur



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Dwarf Culture & Customs, Erebor, Fluff and Angst, Hair Braiding, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-16 05:24:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13047387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ratatoskur/pseuds/ratatoskur
Summary: Dwalin sighed. And then sighed again. If each sigh was a stone, by now he would be able to build a decent wall, he thought grimly, watching a shit of paper in his hands. This was the reason he was now sitting in his and Nori's rooms alone and miserable. Looking at how yellow and frail the paper was, one could guess that it was rather old, but Dwalin didn't have to guess. He knew exactly how old and what it was.





	Of Fancy Braiding

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Saraste](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saraste/gifts).



Dwalin sighed. And then sighed again. If each sigh was a stone, by now he would be able to build a decent wall, he thought grimly, watching a shit of paper in his hands. This was the reason he was now sitting in his and Nori's rooms alone and miserable. Looking at how yellow and frail the paper was, one could guess that it was rather old, but Dwalin didn't have to guess. He knew exactly how old and what it was. 

Nori's face was laughing at him from the old “Wanted” poster. Back in the day, such posters could be seen all over the Blue Mountains. This particular one, however, fell out of Nori's pocket two days ago. Has he been keeping it all these years? Why?

Dwalin would have understood if  _he_ was the one keeping such a poster upon his person. After all, even back then, when he spent days and nights chasing the bloody thief, he couldn't deny how dashing Nori was. “Well”, Dwalin though grimly, “that hasn't changed”. Nori was still as handsome, admirable and infuriating as ever, or even more so, if such a thing was possible. And that was exactly the problem.

Dwalin turned the paper looking once more at the other side, which was covered in small but surprisingly detailed doodles. “Must have been that time when we managed to put him in a sell for a week until he got himself out”. Nori had been bored and spent his time bantering with the guards, and drawing on any surface available. After he escaped they spent at least hours looking at the gallery of drawings he left on the cell walls. But those were mostly caricatures, many depicting the guards in all forms of unpleasant or compromising situations (Hrori was especially offended by the one about him, Dwalin and a bunch of Orks). 

These sketches were done unmistakably by the same hand but were more realistic in manner and more...well... flattering. Most of them were of Dwalin. Laughing Dwalin, angry Dwalin, almost naked Dwalin flexing his muscles. “What?! I never did that!” Also, the artist obviously had a special interest in Dwalin's hair. The mohawk decorated with jewels and wires, expertly braided in a number of most elaborate and fancy hairstyles a Dwarf could imagine. Nori, obviously, had a good imagination. Sighing again, Dwalin scratched his bald head. No braiding for him now. What was worse, those were not just any braiding styles. They were of a ceremonial marriage kind. 

Had Nori thought of marriage even then? Had he wanted it? They never talked of marriage, but why else would he keep this old paper? Of course, when they were in the Blue Mountains, marrying Dwalin would be a desirable project for anyone. Refugee or not, he still was of the Durin line. The strongest among the warriors, a hero. His hairstyle was also considered quite admirable if a little unorthodox (or so Balin had told him; he himself never cared for such talk). He used to be a fine catch (Balin's words again). 

Only he wasn't now. Now he was old, bald and tired. The Quest took a lot of his strength, and the following battle took even more, costing him his right eye and, possibly, his future as a warrior. It has been months ago and yet, he still had tremors in his hands whenever he sparred for longer than ten minutes. A result of an unfortunate encounter with one of the Azog's trolls. Oin had promised that in time the tremors will go away, but Dwalin was not so optimistic. He was a wreck of a Dwarf and definitely not good enough for someone like...

“Nori! I didn't hear you come in”

“Sorry, if I startled you”, he came closer. “Oh, there it is. My favorite portrait. I was wondering where I might've lost it.”

“Yeah, found it. Nice pictures those are”, Dwalin tried to sound relaxed, but judging by the questioning look the other gave him, failed.

“I had a nice model. The pictures only did him credit”.

There was no way around it, Dwalin thought, he had to say it, for Nori's sake.

“I can not marry you!” there, it was done now. 

“Interesting”, was all Nori said at first. He was standing now in front of the armchair, looking down at the sitting Dwalin, with an unreadable expression, watching him. 

“Prey, who said anything about marriage? Maybe I'm not the marrying kind at all”. He slightly lifted one eyebrow, “but if you feel that I am not good enough for you, it is very kind of you to tell me”.

“No! It's not you! I'm not, I did not...”, how could Nori misinterpret his words so badly? “I am the one who's not good enough for you”, he finished somewhat lamely. Nori's calm expression was unnerving.

“Oh, so you are unworthy of my marriage braid then? Care to explain?”

“I am old, Nori.”

“Happens to all of us”.

“I'm a useless mess, won't be able to hold a sword for the rest of my life, prob'ly”.

“Not this again, Dwalin!” Nori threw up his hands. “Oin said, you gonna be fine in a couple of months!”

“He said it 'cause he wanted to spare me.”

“No, he said it 'cause he's the healer and knows what he's talking about! You are being over-dramatic”

“I'm boring and dim”.

“Says the Dwarf, whose favorite pastimes, outside of sparring ring, are engineering and architecture”.

“I'm bold,” Dwalin said quietly. 

“You have been bold for at least fifty years now and never cared. What has changed? Where does all this marriage talk come from?” 

Now Nori stopped talking and narrowed his eyes as if calculating something. “Oh, now I see. You found the paper, saw the drawings with all the marriage hairstyles, and decided that this is what I want”.

“Well, I... You kept it all these years...”

“Of course, so you sat here wallowing in misery and worked yourself into a state that would put even Thorin with all his majestic brooding to shame”.

Now, that was a bit unfair, Dwalin thought. Mind you, Thorin could be rather melancholic at times, while Dwalin was just being a realist. He sighed again.

Suddenly Nori was kneeling beside him, the expression on his face sharp and almost angry.

“This,” he pointed at the paper still clutched in Dwalin's hand, “I kept not because of what I drew there was important, but because it reminded me of the moment that was. The first time we met properly, eye to eye, and talked. I was a nobody, worse than that. You know what they used to say about me: “a disgrace to our kind”, “a gutter rat that should have never been carved”, “dirt and slime”. You were my jailer, yet you treated me as an equal, You even laughed at my jokes. So, forgive me if I daydreamed a little about the handsome captain”. 

“Yours were good jokes, an' I was never handsome”, Dwalin grumbled.

“Look, I liked you then. Now I love you, never think I don't. I told you the truth just then, I'm notthe marrying kind. Marriages are for people like Dori, who love ceremonies, or for those like Thorin. He's the king, so he has to play by the rules. I care for neither rules, nor ceremonies, but if you think that it means I won't do anything to spend the rest of our lives together and come before Mahal holding your hand, then you must truly be dim”. 

Dwalin sniffled loudly at that, trying to will away the welling up tears. Nori spared him, by standing up and turning away, as if suddenly interested in the fireplace, and not noticing how Dwalin rubbed his eyes with a sleeve. “Speaking of dimness”, Nori said in a lighter casual tone, “I saw your brother on the way here. Your project of Second level restoration has won the contest. Congratulations.” 

“It did?” the sudden change of subject and this most welcome news left Dwalin a bit dizzy. 

“Yes, it did. Because you are brilliant, as everyone, except you, knows. Balin also asked to tell you that they will be waiting for you now in the Throne room for the first meeting on the planning. If you can spare some time from your self-pitying...”. The rest of the jibe, however, was promptly drowned in Dwalin's fierce kiss. 

“I love you”, Dwalin said quietly when the kiss ended. 

“Go, or you will be late”.

Dwalin was already out of the door when Nori called out, “And, Dwalin, if you are so worried about the lack of hair, I can ask Ori to knit you a hat!”

 


End file.
